Turkish MPs may ban a hugely
popular soap opera after it depicted a venetrated Sultan from the Middle
Ages as a hard-drinking womaniser.Magnificent
Century, which attracts 150m viewers an episode, was branded 'twisted'
by politicians in the conservative Muslim country over its depiction of
Suleiman I, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised the show last
month, and a draft law has now been proposed that could see
disrespectful historical TV and film adaptions banned.

Mobs of protesters deface a Magnificent Century billboard in Istanbul in protest at its sexy scenes

He condemned the show 'before the nation' - and his sentiments were echoed by MP Oktay Saral, who has proposed the new bill.Mr
Saral said the show 'Imposed on Suleiman the Magnificent, a person who
spent his life on horseback serving his country and his nation, is a
life entirely composed of the bedroom and based on twisted
relationships.'Magnificent
Century attracts around a third of all television viewers during its
prime time slot every Wednesday and is even shown in countries as far
flung as Hungary and Japan.But it has riled Turkish hardliners over scenes showing Suleiman I hitting the bottle and cavorting with the women in his harem.The
Sultan, nicknamed the Magnificent in the West and the Lawgiver in the
East was at the helm of the Ottoman Empire during its glory days in the
mid-16th Century.

The show takes a melodramatic look at the life of 16th century Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I

He went against social conventions at the time by marrying a Ukrainian woman from his harem.The bid to ban Magnificent Century and similar shows comes amid growing accusations that the PM is meddling in social issues.He has already shocked voters this year by proposing to reinstate the death penalty and ban abortion.Mr Erdogan has also announced controversial plans to build a huge new mosque on Istanbul's largest hill.His
critics claim the eye-catching proposals are an attempt to distract
voters from wider issues, including the government's handling of the
crisis in Syria and growing unrest among Turkish Kurds.And one of the show's former stars has condemned the proposals, claiming the PM wanted to 'change the agenda.'Nebahat
Cehre, who played the Sultan's mother in the first two series of the
show added: 'I can't think of any other reason to discuss an imaginary
television series when there are so many problems in a country.'